Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Choosing Day

Chapter 3:

Choosing Day

I barely had time to catch my breath before Mom was fussing over me, pulling bits of straw from my hair and swiping at the dirt on my sleeves.

"By Cultivation, child, I thought it was implied that you should stay relatively clean before the ceremony" she said, as she clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "We barely have time to get you cleaned up and fed!"

Before I could protest, she ushered me toward the table like a child, pushing me down into a chair. A plate of bacon and eggs appeared suddenly in front of me, and the savory smell made my stomach growl despite my nerves.

"Eat quickly," she commanded, her hands already moving to comb through my hair once again. “And do your best not to make more of a mess!” She turned towards the doorway that lead into the living room and hollered at my younger brother, “Seth warm a bath, we have to get your brother cleaned up, and I bet you’re just as filthy as he is!”

As I enjoyed my breakfast, I couldn't help but appreciate my mother. Her love and patience had been the glue that held our family together. No matter how tense things got, whether from my father's outbursts or the daily struggles of farm life, she always found a way to bring everything back under control.

In the next room, I could hear Seth groaning in protest. "Why do I have to take a bath too? I'm not the one rolling around in the barn!"

Mom didn't even turn around. "Because I said so! And don’t think I didn’t see you wrestling with the dogs earlier!"

I smirked, shoveling another piece of bacon into my mouth. After finishing my plate, I walked over to the sink and began to rinse it off.

"You don’t have time, child! Go get cleaned up and dressed. I won’t have you shaming me in front of the neighbors looking like I don’t wash your clothes."

My mother shooed me out of the kitchen once again as she began furiously scrubbing the remaining dishes.

As I made my way down the hall, I could hear Seth still grumbling from the washroom. I pushed open the bathroom door to find him reluctantly dunking his arms into the tub, splashing more water onto the floor than actually cleaning himself.

"Move over boy, a man is coming through,” I teased as I began peeling off my dusty clothes.

Seth scooted over to make room for me "Just don’t take forever. The whole town’s probably already waiting on you. At this rate Grace will find another “man” to stand beside her if you don’t hurry up.”

I sighed, as I stepped into the warm water. He wasn’t wrong. I had told Grace I would try to see her earlier this morning but I got carried away with all the excitement of the morning. She might be a little unhappy with me but I’m sure we could smooth things out.

As I dried off with a towel, I walked to my room to find my nicer clothes had already been laid out for me; a pair of brown trousers, suspenders, my dark brown work boots, and a white long sleeved buttoned shirt. For a family of farmers, this was about as dressed up as we got for any occasion. We might add a coat for extra formality, but given the summer heat, my mother had mercifully left it out.

Checking myself in the mirror, I took a moment to examine my skin for any blemishes before attempting to tame my unruly red hair. After a few failed attempts, I gave up with a sigh and grabbed my wide brimmed felt hat from a nearby hook, settling it firmly on my head.

“Oh no you don’t.”

I turned to see my mother eyeing me critically from the doorway.

“Take the hat off, and I’ll help you with your hair.”

“Mom, you don’t have to do that,” I said defensively, trying to resist her taking control of the situation. “Just let me finish up, and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

“You listen here Samuel Jacob Garner” she said, as emotion steadily filled her words. “Close your mouth and let me treat you like my little boy for just a little bit longer.”

Turning to her, I couldn’t help but notice the tears streaming down her cheeks.

I pulled her into a hug, savoring the warmth of her love and support. I couldn’t help but admire the power of a simple embrace, especially from someone who loves you the way only a mother can.

As my mother and I finally made our way downstairs we found that my father and brother were already waiting in the living room. Seth was dressed similarly to me, the only real difference was the blonde hair sitting on top his head, while my father wore slightly darker clothes and his familiar straw hat.

“Took you long enough” Seth teased. “I bet dad a copper you would be the last one ready.”

My father nodded silently and handed over the coin without saying a word.

"Alright, is everybody ready? We need to get a move on.” My mother rushed through the room, ushering the family toward the front door.

"And Seth, be on your best behavior, and for my sake, try not to go chasing after skirt you see for once in your life. This day is about your brother so keep that in mind please.”

Seth smirked and gave me a knowing look. I was not a bad lookin guy by Wheat Hollow’s standards, but my brother was a cut above the rest. I had no doubt that he would in fact find himself tangled up with some lass by the end of the night.

Since we live relatively close to town we chose to walk there as a family as opposed to hitching up the horse and wagon. The road leading away from our home was a comfortable enough stroll despite the heat of the day, as it was shaded by the many oak trees scattered throughout the property.

After nearly twenty minutes of steady walking through the fields bordering the town, we finally caught sight of our destination. Wheat Hollow, was one of many farming communities scattered throughout the central flat lands. This region was often referred to as, The Belt, and it produced much of the food that was distributed throughout the Kingdom of Rayleigh.

Wheat Hollow wasn’t large by any means and it served more as a checkpoint for travelers and traders on their way to the bigger cities. It was a collection of buildings that formed a large circle around a fairly sizable garden in the middle of the town. A dirt road encircled the exterior of the garden and allowed for fairly easy access in and out of the city. At the center of this garden was the Church of the Path; it was there that everyone would gather tonight for the ceremony and the festival afterwards.

“Alright boys, be respectful to the other families and do more than your fair share of the work.” Our mother gave us both a stern look before sending us away to go help set up for the ceremony.

It's traditional for families to show up early to help set up for the festivities of the day. Traditions, I have found, often translate into children doing extra work while parents take the opportunity to gossip and chat with their neighbors.

I immediately set out to find Grace and apologize for not arriving earlier in the day. She had told me how nervous she was about the Choosing Day; like me she felt trapped by her parents expectations and was having a hard time standing up for herself. Her father was the owner of the local Tavern. He is a good man, generous, and very kind. Though when it came to his daughter he was rather heavy handed and didn’t give her many opportunities to follow her own interests.

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After a bit of searching I found Grace wandering through the large garden in the center of town. Her golden hair shined brightly in the sun and flowed down around her shoulders as she spun and danced between the yellow patch of flowers at her feet. Her skin was kissed dark by the sun, which was a sharp contrast to myself as my pale skin seemed to repel its light lest it be burnt by it. Upon seeing me, she abruptly stopped spinning and crossed her arms in disappointment.

“You promised to meet me this morning” she chided, her beautiful face scrunched into a hard stare.

“I’m sorry, I had some things come up and I lost track of time. Truly, I am sorry...do you think you could..” But before I could finish my sentence she interrupted me.

“No, I don’t forgive you.” She held me in cold stare but upon seeing my discomfort she began to laugh. “I understand Sam, I was busy all morning myself. My father wanted me to get some last minute “training” in so that I might be offered choices that met his approval.”

“Yeah, I can relate that. I spent most of my morning cutting wheat” I said, as I began bent down to pick a yellow flower. “To be honest, I’ve spent most of the day trying to decide the type of future I want for myself. I’ve heard that it might help convince The Path to offer you a choice beyond the ones you have been born into.”

Upon hearing my words I could tell Grace was suddenly very interested in what I had to say. I stepped close to her and placed the flower in her hair behind her ear.

“Is that true? Does The Path really care about things like that? I can just hope for something more and it will offer it me?”

“Truthfully, I don’t know for certain. I received a a letter from my Uncle and he seems to think so. He left the farm before I was born and has apparently made something of himself. If it worked for him then I have no doubt it could work for us as well. He said the envision the life you want and to have the resolve to make the choice.”

Upon hearing this, Grace took me by the hand and kissed my cheek.

“Thank you Sam. Even if it’s not true that does give me some hope to hold onto.”

Grace and I weren’t an official couple. We had known each other almost all our lives and had been inseparable for as long as anyone could remember. It was customary to wait till after one’s Choosing Day to court someone and get the approval of each other’s families. Grace and I had never openly discussed it but our affection for one another was no secret.

“I think it would be best to help everyone get things set up. If my mother hears word that I wasn’t helping she’ll have my hide.”

Grace laughed. It was a sweet melody of a sound. In my eyes she was the loveliest flower in the garden, but I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted. I needed to focus and prepare myself for the choices to come. I squeezed her hand and we walked with one another towards the church. It was there that they were already setting up a stage for the ceremony taking place later this afternoon.

After a couple hours of solid work, the preparations for the day were finally complete. The stage was decorated, tents were erected, and all the booths were ready for the festivities that would follow the Choosing ceremony. Food and drink would flow in abundance as families celebrated their children’s coming of age.

As the sun began to set, families began moving to claim their spots around the church. Hundreds of people filled the garden and anticipation filled the air as every family hoped and worried for the futures of their children.

Those of us who would be participating in the ceremony were led to the church where we were lined up in rows alphabetically. To my delight, Grace stood directly in front me in line, her last name being Fairfield, and mine being Garner. She gave me a smile upon realizing we would be making our choices very close to one another.

There were around fifty of us in total and I recognized nearly everyone that was present. We were a small town after all, everyone one knows everyone to some degree.

We were eventually ushered towards the stage as the sun continued to wane in the sky. The visiting priests from the capital had already taken their customary places on the platform with the head priest standing center stage looking over the gathering crowds.

I managed to locate my parents sitting off to on the far side of the congregation. I gave my mother a wave and she waved back enthusiastically. I also caught sight of my brother who was already getting close to the Johnson’s daughter. Mom is going to give him an earful about that later but I couldn’t help but laugh.

As I looked around at my peers, I couldn’t help but notice the nervousness on their faces as it was the same feeling I had been carrying around all day. Our futures were about to be decided, and from this point forward, we would be recognized as adults in the eyes of the Kingdom.

"Do you think it will hurt?” Grace asked, as she turned to look at me. “I forgot to ask my father about it, I’ve watched it every year since I was a girl, but I never considered what stepping into the spiritual realm might feel like.”

“Honestly, I don’t think it will be that bad” I responded confidently. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone complain about that before. Unless, it’s just some right of passage that no one bothers to mention.”

Our conversation was soon cut short as the Head Priest’s voice was amplified by some unseen force. The weight of his words settled over the crowd like a physical weight, demanding their attention and respect for the ceremony that was about to take place.

“Esteemed citizens of the Kingdom, we thank you for your unwavering dedication and toil in preparation for this sacred day. This evening, your children stand on the threshold of adulthood, as they prepare to take their first steps onto The Path.”

The crowd sat in perfect silence as all eyes turned toward the Head Priest, who was now glowing slightly as he stood at the center of the raised platform.

“As you all know, The path bestows us choices in accordance with our standing and potential. Therefore, I encourage you, t young men and women gathered here beside me, receive the choices you are offered reverently and without protest. For the path you choose shall determine the life you shall live.”

The Head Priest then called forward his attending clergy and instructed them to place a large crystalline sphere on a pedestal in front of the crowd. The priests then began to chant, their voices rising and falling as one. An iridescent energy flowed from them into the sphere, causing a bright light to shine within.

“Young ones, when I call your name, step forward and place your hands on the altar.”

Without any further preamble the Head Priest began to call out names.

“Asher Hydes.”

A nervous dark haired youth stepped forward. I recognized him as the Tanner’s son. They were a leather working family that lived a little ways outside of the town. He hesitated for a moment and then placed his hands on the sphere that sat atop the altar. As soon as his palms made contact, his body went stiff and a bright light burst forth from his eyes and mouth.

After several long moments, the sphere began to fill with a ethereal emerald green smoke. Golden letters took form within the sphere which then prompted the priest to loudly proclaim the choice that was made.

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“Domain: Cultivation, Path of the Tanner!”

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As the priest made his declaration, I could see a look of relief wash over the young man’s face. He waved toward his family in the crowd, his smile wide and genuine. The crowd responded with polite cheers and applause, no doubt thankful the ceremony began on a positive note.

The procession continued in this manner for quite some time. A name was called, a choice was made, and one by one, the sea of eager young faces around me dwindled.

I watched as the Mayor’s son stepped forward, placing his hand on the sphere. Like all the others before him, light shined from his eyes and mouth, but this time a crimson red smoke filled the sphere as a choice was made.

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“Domain: Martial, Path of the swordsman!” The priest cried out more enthusiastically than he had for all choices that had came before, as they were all Paths related to Cultivation in some way.

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A wave of cheers erupted from his family, their faces glowing with pride. It was clear they saw his offered choice as a swordsman to a be a great honor for their family. Which was unsurprising as the Mayor had been an accomplished adventurer in his youth from what I had been told.

After a few more youths stepped forward to make their choices, the priest finally called out Grace's name.

“Heather Grace Fairfield."

Grace stepped out onto the platform, her beautiful golden hair shining brightly even as the sun continued to set in the distance. She took one final glance back at me, smiled, and then placed her hands on the sphere. Light poured through her body, and after a longer moment than usual the sphere began to fill with a sparkling sapphire blue smoke.

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“Domain: Arcane: Path of the Dancer” the priest announced, his voice cracking in delighted surprise. A warrior in a community like ours was rare but an Arcane path was simply unheard of.

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Her choice felt so bold and exciting compared the farmers who had come before her. The crowd’s reaction was immediate, families that prided themselves on tradition exchanged subtle glances, their faces drawn tight in judgment. The air seemed to thicken, buzzing with the weight of disapproval.

“Path of the Dancer?” A group of young men behind me scoffed. “What the hell is that? Some kind of bard? What good is that?”

As I watched, I couldn’t help but notice how unbothered Grace was by the crowd’s judgment. Her radiant smile made it seem as though the worries she’d shared with me earlier had never existed. With effortless grace, she danced off the stage, each step a quiet rebellion, untouched by the murmurs that followed in her wake.

It would seem that the advice my uncle had given me carried some weight after all. Upon seeing Grace make her decision despite her families expectations, it only served to harden my resolve as I waited for my name to be called.

“Samuel Jacob Garner,” the priest said solemnly.

Stepping onto the platform, I couldn’t help but feel my body begin to sweat in anticipation. Approaching the center of the platform, I looked towards my family for support. My mother was holding my brother tightly, while my father stood beside them, his face unreadable as usual.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out and placed my hands on the sphere.